Who pays for the sewer lateral in Millbrae, CA
Which part of the pipe is yours
Yours from the cleanout to your building — if certain conditions are met
Why, and what to doYours from the meter to your building
Why, and what to do
If something’s wrong
Who to call first about the sewer lateral
The answer here has conditions, so it is not repeated in brief. Read who to call first, in full or look up your address.
Millbrae: official site(opens in a new tab)If a repair needs a permit or an inspection
No rule on file here is specific to a repair; that does not mean none exists.
Buying or selling?
Millbrae Municipal Code 8.20.450 states that where a property includes buildings constructed more than twenty years before the transfer, the sanitary sewer lateral must be tested for inflow and infiltration and any repairs completed by the owner and approved by the City before title transfers. The City states it requires an in-line closed-circuit video inspection from the building to the City main, and issues a compliance certificate.
Planning work?
No rule on file here is specific to remodelling or adding a unit; that does not mean none exists.
Who is responsible for which part
The owner maintains the whole lateral as a general rule - but where a conforming cleanout exists near the curb or the main, the City maintains the section from that cleanout to the main.
- Millbrae
- The City states it "shall only maintain the sanitary sewer lateral from the cleanout wye, inclusive of the cleanout wye, to the city sanitary sewer main" where a cleanout is provided "either in the sidewalk, or within two and one-half feet of the face of curb or edge of pavement where there is no sidewalk, or in a side or rear yard within two and one-half feet of the city main". Where the cleanout sits outside those areas, the City states that "the property owner is responsible for maintaining the sanitary sewer lateral all the way to the city sanitary sewer main, including the wye connection at the main".
- The property owner
- As a general rule the whole of it: the City states the owner "at his/her expense shall maintain all sanitary sewer laterals, including, but not limited to, the building drain, sanitary sewer lateral to the cleanout wye connection or to the city sanitary sewer main as provided below, building cleanout, sidewalk cleanout frame and cover, backflow protection and backflow relief equipment". Whether the run from the cleanout to the main falls to the City turns on where the cleanout is - within two and a half feet of the curb, the edge of the pavement, or the main.
What decides which applies
Sources
Millbrae Municipal Code section 8.20.430, Sanitary sewer laterals (chapter 8.20, Municipal Sanitary Sewer System)What the rules say
Who to call first
City of Millbrae Public Works Department
After hours: 650-363-4951
Most relevant if you have a backup or blockage
No rule on file here is specific to a backup or blockage; that does not mean none exists.
Also in force here
Millbrae Municipal Code 8.20.450 states that where a property includes buildings constructed more than twenty years before the transfer, the sanitary sewer lateral must be tested for inflow and infiltration and any repairs completed by the owner and approved by the City before title transfers. The City states it requires an in-line closed-circuit video inspection from the building to the City main, and issues a compliance certificate.
What to do: Ask the City of Millbrae Public Works Department whether a compliance certificate is already on file for this property and what it currently requires, before arranging an inspection.
City of Millbrae Ordinance No. 738Why this matters
The code says "normally such testing need not be considered" for five years after a lateral passed a test, or twenty years after the City accepted a complete replacement - wording that is weaker than an exemption, and It is reported here as the code puts it. The City also states that a certificate may be revoked on a transfer of ownership, a remodel or a change of building use, so an existing certificate is not always the end of it. Separately, 8.20.450(C) ties this requirement to a consent decree the code says ended in November 2016 unless extended, after which implementation is at the City's discretion; the City continues to publish and operate the requirement.
Assistance programmes
City of Millbrae sanitary sewer lateral rebate
20% of the cost, up to $2,000, one per residence. Unlike the San Mateo and Morgan Hill programmes, this one is claimed after the work: the City requires evidence that it was completed within the previous 180 days. Funds are limited and issued first-come.
The City requires one of: two or more laterals that were connected to each other having been separated, a lateral upgraded to the current Millbrae Municipal Code, a lateral at risk of overflowing or broken having been fixed, any upgrade to meet Municipal Code chapter 8.20, or a lateral that had no City clean-out in the sidewalk area. It also requires all of: evidence the work was completed within the previous 180 days, evidence of payment in full by paid-in-full receipt — the City states cleared cheques are not acceptable — and no rebate under this programme in the previous ten years.
Apply on the official site
What this page cannot tell you
- No sewer service territory has been mapped for this area, so BelowGrid cannot say who serves an individual address.
Who governs and serves this area
- Jurisdiction
- Millbrae (municipality)
- Sewer service
- No map of sewer providers is held here. BelowGrid cannot say which sewer provider serves an individual address.
How this compares to neighbouring cities
7 of the 8 nearest cities draw the line somewhere else. Each authority publishes only its own rule.
Your other pipe: the water service line
The drinking water line coming into your property is a separate pipe, run by a separate authority, and who is responsible for it is decided separately. Your sewer lateral is yours to the cleanout; your water line stops being yours at the meter.
Who owns the water service line in MillbraeNearby cities and further reading
Look up a specific address
This page describes what applies to properties in Millbrae in general. To see which authorities serve one address, and what records exist for it, search for it.
Search for an address